This is a special blended product that can restore badly aged/dried leather. It will not repair any cracking/crazing but it will revitalize and soften the leather. This product requires time to penetrate into the leather to restore the natural softness. Severe cases may require several applications and each application may need a day or two to penetrate and disburse into the leather. The leather didn’t deteriorate overnight; you can’t expect to restore it overnight.
Available in 8oz size for $7.95
Conditioner
This is a natural blend of oils and ingredients that will keep your leather soft and supple. Use as a cleaner/conditioner frequently to maintain healthy leather. You should never use soaps/detergents with water on leather. Anything you put on the leather will soak into the material. The water will dry the leather out and the soaps will cause deterioration. LeatherDew is an excellent cleaner because of its organic ingredients. See our FAQ section below for more information.
Available in 8oz size for $6.95
Finish
To add the final touch to the leather, this finish will bring depth to the color and sheen without a “wet” look. When properly applied, it will leave the leather with a lasting fine finish that will not rub off on your clothing.
Available in 4oz size for $5.95
Cleans the road grime off the outside and the fogging agents off the inside of the windows. Safe on tinted glass. Non-toxic and eco-friendly.
Available in 8oz size for $4.95
Soon to be available in 16oz size
Protects and beautifies vinyl like nothing else. Screens out damaging UV rays to prevent fading. Use on dash, trim, vinyl upholstery, convertible tops, even tires.
Available in 8oz size for $7.95
Go directly to our store by clicking here:
Frequently Asked Questions about Leather - data from Wakipedia.
What is leather?
Leather is a material created through the tanning of hides and skins of animals primarily cattle hide. The tanning process converts the skin into a durable, long-lasting and versatile natural material for various uses. Together with wood, leather formed the basis of much ancient technology. The leather industry and the fur industry are distinct industries that are differentiated by the importance of their raw materials. In the leather industry the raw materials are by-products of the meat industry, with the meat having higher value than the skin. The fur industry uses raw materials that are higher in value than the meat and hence the meat is classified as a by-product.
Overall, leather comes from a variety of other sources, including the skins of cattle, hogs, goats, sheep, alligators, ostriches, kangaroos, & yaks. There is quite a wide range of different animal leather used both for Leather garments as well as Leather Goods such as Ladies Handbags, Gents wallets, Ladies Purses, Leather Belts, File bags and other customized leather articles.
There must, therefore be many types of leather, what is used in my car?
There are a number of processes whereby the skin of an animal can be formed into a supple, strong material commonly called leather.
- Vegetable-tanned leather is tanned using tannin (hence the name "tanning") and other ingredients found in vegetable matter, tree bark, and other such sources.
- Chrome-tanned leather, invented in 1858, is tanned using chromium sulfate and other salts of chromium. It is more supple and pliable than vegetable-tanned leather, and does not discolor or lose shape as drastically in water as vegetable-tanned.
- Aldehyde-tanned leather is tanned using glutaraldehyde or oxazolidine compounds. This is the leather that most tanners refer to as wet-white leather due to its pale cream or white color. It is the main type of leather used in chrome-free leather often seen in infant's shoes and in automobiles made with chrome-free leather.
- Brain tanned leathers are made by a labor-intensive process which uses emulsified oils, often those of animal brains. They are known for their exceptional softness and their ability to be washed. Chamois leather also falls into the category of aldehyde tanning and like brain tanning produces a highly water absorbent leather. Chamois leather is made by using oils (traditionally cod oil) that oxidizes easily to produce the aldehydes that tan the leather.
- Synthetic-tanned leather is tanned using aromatic polymers such as the Novolac or Neradol types. This leather is white in color and was invented when vegetable tannins were in short supply, i.e. during the Second World War. Alum-tanned leather is tanned using aluminum salts mixed with a variety of binders and protein sources, such as flour, egg yolk, etc. Purists argue that alum-tanned leather is technically "tawed" and not tanned, as the resulting material will rot in water. Very light shades of leather are possible using this process, but the resulting material is not as supple as vegetable-tanned leather.
- Rawhide is made by scraping the skin thin, soaking it in lime, and then stretching it while it dries. Like alum-tanning, rawhide is not technically "leather", but is usually lumped in with the other forms. Rawhide is stiffer and more brittle than other forms of leather, and is primarily found in uses such as drumheads where it does not need to flex significantly; it is also cut up into cords for use in lacing or stitching, or for making many varieties of dog chews.
I understand there are different levels of quality or “grade” in leather. A Rolls Royce would never use an inferior quality yet a Ford would probably not have the highest quality? What are the major differences?
- Full-Grain leather or Top-Grain is referring to the upper section of a hide that contains the epidermis or skin layer. It refers to hides that have not been sanded, buffed or snuffed (otherwise known as corrected) in order to remove imperfections on the surface of the hide. Only the hair has been removed from the epidermis. The grain remains in its natural state, which will allow the best fiber strength, resulting in greater durability. The natural grain also has natural breathability, resulting in greater comfort for clothing. The natural Full-Grain surface will wear better than other leather. Rather than wearing out, it will develop a natural "Patina" and grow more beautiful over time. The finest leather furniture and footwear are made from Full-Grain leather. For these reasons only the best raw hide are used in order to create Full-Grain or Top-Grain leather.
- Corrected-Grain leather is any Top-Grain leather that has had its surfaces sanded, buffed or snuffed in order to remove any imperfection on the surface due to insect bites, healed scars or brands. Top-Grain leather is often wrongly referred to as Corrected-Grain. Although Corrected-Grain leather is made from Top-Grain as soon as the surface is corrected in any way the leather is no longer referred to as Top-Grain leather. The hides used to create corrected leather are hides of inferior quality that do not meet the high standards for use in creating aniline or semi-aniline leather. The imperfections are corrected and an artificial grain applied. Most Correct leather is used to make pigmented leather as the solid pigment helps hide the corrections or imperfections.
- Split leather is leather that is created from the fibrous part of the hide left once the Top-Grain of the raw hide has been separated from the hide. During the splitting operation the grain and drop split are separated. The drop split can be further split (thickness allowing) into a middle split and a flesh split. In very thick hides the middle split can be separated into multiple layers until the thickness prevents further splitting. Split leather then has an artificial layer applied to the surface of the split and is embossed with a leather grain. Splits can are also used to create Suede. The strongest suedes are usually made from grain splits (that have the grain completely removed) or from the flesh split that has been shaved to the correct thickness. Suede is "fuzzy" on both sides. Suede is less durable than top-grain. Suede is cheaper because many pieces of suede can be split from a single thickness of hide, whereas only one piece of top-grain can be made.
What is the best way to preserve/protect the leather?
Leather—usually vegetable-tanned leather—can be oiled to improve its water resistance. This supplements the natural oils remaining in the leather itself, which can be washed out through repeated exposure to water. Frequent oiling of leather, with natural oils keeps it supple and improves its lifespan dramatically.
